# Mark 4.12

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-06-01 | updated: 2026-06-01 -->

**Book:** [Mark](/codex/john-mark/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 10. <span class="rl-speech">And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parables.</span> 11. And he said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Unto you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all things are done in parables:</span>
>
> **12. <span class="rl-speech">that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them.</span>**
>
> 13. And he saith unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Know ye not this parable? and how shall ye know all the parables?</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">The sower soweth the word.</span> (Mark 4:10-14, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 10. <span class="rl-speech">When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.</span> 11. He said to them, <span class="rl-speech">“To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,</span>
>
> **12. <span class="rl-speech">that ‘seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’”</span>**
>
> 13. He said to them, <span class="rl-speech">“Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables?</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">The farmer sows the word.</span> (Mark 4:10-14, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 10. <span class="rl-speech">And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.</span> 11. And he said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:</span>
>
> **12. <span class="rl-speech">That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.</span>**
>
> 13. And he said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">The sower soweth the word.</span> (Mark 4:10-14, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 10. <span class="rl-speech">And when he was alone, those about him, with the twelve, did ask him of the simile,</span> 11. and he said to them, <span class="rl-speech">'To you it hath been given to know the secret of the reign of God, but to those who are without, in similes are all the things done;</span>
>
> **12. <span class="rl-speech">that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest they may turn, and the sins may be forgiven them.'</span>**
>
> 13. And he saith to them, <span class="rl-speech">'Have ye not known this simile? and how shall ye know all the similes?</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">He who is sowing doth sow the word;</span> (Mark 4:10-14, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

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## Quoted in

**Concepts:**

- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Mark 4.3-32](/codex/mark-4-3-32/)

**Lexicon:**

- [H8085 - shama](/codex/h8085-shama/)

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_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.